Figure 1Illustration of the externally visible landmarks which were digitized: the right tip of the tongue, the left tip of the tongue, the point of bifurcation of the fork, the midtongue, and the posteriormost visible point of the tongue.

It has long been thought that snakes flick their tongues in order to “smell” their environments. However, is this the only reason for the seemingly-constant snake tonguing? To see what else snakes might be up to with all that lingual action, these biologists recorded snake tongues with four high-speed video cameras and reconstructed a 3D model of the tongue in motion. This detailed investigation revealed that the snakes actually perform two types of tongue flick: one for smelling things in the air, and another that seems optimized for tasting objects on the ground.

The function of oscillatory tongue-flicks in snakes: insights from kinematics of tongue-flicking in the banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata).

“Tongue-flicking is an important sensory behavior unique to squamate reptiles in which chemical stimuli gathered by the tongue are delivered the vomeronasal organ situated in the roof of the mouth. Because tongue-flick numbers can easily be quantified, this behavior has been widely used as a measure of vomeronasal sampling in snakes using related variables such as tongue-flick rate or tongue-flick/attack score. Surprisingly, the behavior itself and especially the function of the oscillatory tongue-flicks remains poorly understood. To describe the overall kinematics of tongue-flicking in the colubrid snake Nerodia fasciata and to test predictions on the function of oscillatory tongue-flicks, we filmed the tongue-flicks of 8 adult Nerodia fasciata using 4 synchronized high-speed cameras. Three-dimensional kinematic and performance variables were extracted from the videos in order to quantify tongue movements. Based on the kinematic analysis, we demonstrate the existence of 2 functional and behavioral tongue-flick categories. Tongue-flicks with oscillations meet all the criteria for being adapted to the collection of odorants; simple downward extensions appear better suited for the rapid pick up of nonvolatile chemical stimuli from the substrate or a food item. External stimuli such as tactile and/or vomeronasal stimulation can induce a shift between these categories.”
Bonus figure from the full text:

Figure 2:Drawings and representative kinematic profiles illustrating the movements of the tongue for the 3 TFTs. [tongue-flick types] (A) Successive tongue movements in an SDE. (B) Successive tongue movements in an SO. (C) Successive tongue movements in MOs. The representative kinematic profiles illustrate the movement of the point of bifurcation (solid line) and the movement of the tongue tips (dashed line) in the sagittal plane for the 3 TFTs.

Another misleading statement. Science and religion are interconnected, and only when humans enlighten themselves to both, are we ever to understand the phenomena and mysteries of the world around us and the universe.

Louis Jefferson Coursey III

Ahh, preconceived ineptitude. Unlike common sense, which understands the limit of pompous hooligans who do not understand god and science are one and religion is a term used by the misled who need to get out into society more often.

Anthony Stark

“what is asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence”

-Christopher Hitchens.

Zucca Xerfantes

I think you should change your name to Seth Rogan. Tony Stark just doesn’t care. But Seth Rogan can’t perform any given human function, much less make a movie, without bashing people who are different than him.

I for one am with Stan Marsh. Who says there’s not room for both?

Christian Monasteries and academies were bastions of science! Did you know that crop hybridization and geneology was discovered by a Christian monk?

Tens of thousands of scientists through the ages have believed in God, including an enormous amount today.

Depending on the field, they don’t tend to speak of their faith to their co-workers. Fortunately, my brother, a rocket scientist (No, seriously), works in such an environment where militant anti-theism is in vogue.

I’m not saying I’m right. For all I know, I’m dead-wrong here. But I know that denigrating those who believe won’t win you anything more than a high-five from people who already agree with you.

Me? I found God in Newton’s laws of thermodynamics. I kid thee not.

dianne mae Catapang

Interesting ., I’ve always thought there’s a reason behind it .,

http://fortheloveofthecreator.blogspot.com/ SHAHARIL AHMAD

Amazing discovery, love it!

johnLK

Saying the substrate-touching tongue flicks function for “taste” is misleading. 1. the Vomeronasal system is sensitive to the non-volatiles, such as the odorants on the ground. 2. As I understand it (haven’t checked recently) snakes have no taste buds on their tongues. If by “taste” you mean vomeronasal, its OK. If standard taste (cranial nerves VII, IX and X) probably not true.

Terri House

I’ve always known this, just didn’t know all the terms that they put it in, pmsl. I have nine snakes and in taking many photos of my snakes in rapid succession, I’ve noticed this myself and stated this fact to my bf. I noticed a difference when they were flicking at the air versus flicking at their substrate, or a tree branch. I noticed it also sometimes seemed as though they were almost feeling what they were smelling.

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